Salom hammered till Ortbal's man opened up. "Yes, Khad-ifa?"
"I need to see Ortbal."
"His Lordship is sleeping, sir."
"His Lordship? You go tell Ortbal to get his fat royal butt up before ...
Never mind. I'll tell him myself. His Lordship. Aram have mercy on fools." Hepushed past the protesting batman, stamped through the house. It had severalstoreys but Ortbal, being lazy, seldom left the ground floor. He noted thatthe house, like Ortbal himself, had begun to take on airs. He kicked openSagdet's bedroom door.
There was light aplenty inside. Ortbal was at his pleasures.
"You! Out!" Salom snapped at the woman.
She fled like a whipped dog.
Ortbal reddened, but he restrained his anger. Salom Edgit was not the kind ofman who busted in on people. And he was mad as hell. You were careful withSalom when his temper was up. He was unpredictable. Dangerous. Ortbal Sagdetwas not the sort to put himself at risk. "You're upset, Salom."
"Damned right, I'm upset. Look at you! ... Yes. I'm upset. I'm overreacting.
I know it and I can't stop."
"Rough meeting?" The slightest concern edged Sagdet's voice.
"You should have been there."
"I was making a statement by staying away."
"Your statement was heard, understood, and dismissed as trivial. That wasn't ablind, senile, dying old man, Ortbal. That was the General and he was incharge every second. He did the talking. Not a word got spoken that he didn'task for. He didn't ask, he didn't argue, he just told. And he knew abouteverything that's been going on."
"King."
"No. More than King."
"You'd better give me the details." Sagdet's concern was plain now.
Salom told it. Sagdet interjected questions as he progressed.
"No reprisals at all?"
"Those were his orders."
"My people are going to be real irritated about that."
"I don't think he cares, Ortbal. You know that? I don't think he's concerned about your ..." "Stuff the moralizing and get on with it." And a minute later, "Did he say how I'm supposed to raise operating funds?"
"If the old man was here he'd just look at this bordello and tell you he lives where he lives."
"He would. The old bastard expects us all to live like vermin."
And later, Sagdet exploded with incredulity. "He said I'd be there tomorrow night?" "He did. And you'd better show. You miscalculated your time and started your break too early. You'd better back off. Let time finish its work."
"Time, huh?"
Ortbal asked several questions. Then, "What did he hit you with, old friend?"
"He told me I had to decide if I was a thief or a soldier."
"And you've made up your mind, haven't you? You still buy this foolishness called the Living. After six years of Herodian occupation you still think that crazy old man can do what armies couldn't."
"That isn't the question, Ortbal. I don't know if he can do it or not.
Probably not. That doesn't matter. He told me to decide if I'm a thief or a soldier. I'm not a thief. I came here because I owe you the debts of friendship. I had to caution you. I've acquitted my obligation." "Probably expected you to run straight here, too. Twisted your tail just so and here you came."
"Maybe."
"So we come to a parting of roads. If I don't show up tomorrow night. Whatwill he do if I don't show?"
"I don't know."
"What can he do?"
"You take that attitude you might find out. He for sure won't sit still."
"So I'd better do some thinking."
"Will you be there?"
"You'll find that out when you walk in the door, Salom." Sagdet smiled. Thatonly made his pudgy face look malicious. Edgit knew he had no intention ofshowing.
Azel paused to lengthen the wick in the little lamp inside the door. A voicecroaked, "I'm in bed."
Azel stepped into the bedroom. The old man looked terrible. He set the lampdown. "You were waiting? You were that confident I would get your messageright away?"
"No. I sleep a lot but I'm a very light sleeper. You woke me when you openedthe door."
Azel felt he had not made enough noise to disturb a mouse. "I'll have tolighten my step."
"I have very good ears. Was that you with the boy in the alley today?"
"It was. It was a close thing."
"The Dartars were so interested Fa'tad himself came out to poke around."
Azel was astonished. "Really?"
"Yes. You be careful. That man has a nose better than my ears. Lay off for awhile. You don't have to round up the whole population overnight."
"Tell it to the Witch. I tried. She's got a thirty-brat backlog and it takesthree days to make sure each one isn't the one she's looking for. But shewon't slow down. She's gotten obsessed with the idea that she's got to get allthe kids rounded up before any of them kick off. Like she's sure that if evenone of them croaks that'll be the one she wants and she'll have to do the whole damned thing over again."
"Behind another five- or six-year wait. I can understand her anxiety. I shareit. I won't live that long and I'd like to see results before I go. But notnegative results, which is what we'll get if Cado or Fa'tad catches on.
Fa'tad's behavior today indicates that caution is necessary. Would it do anygood if I were to admonish her myself?"
"No. Her deal with us is a marriage of convenience. She's only interested ingetting what she wants."
"Any suggestions?"
Azel answered with an uncharacteristic shrug. "I walked out. For the time being. That'll slow her down."
"But she has other help."
"Yeah. Two other guys."
"Are they any good? Who are they?"
"They're good. Not as good as me, but good. One is named Sadat Agmed. He's in it for the money. The other is Ishabal bel-Shaduk."
"Comes of religious stock, no doubt."
"Very. He's the fanatic."
"The other sounds Dartar."
"His father was. He hates them."
"Could you persuade them to lay off for a while, too?"
"I doubt it. I'm not supposed to know who they are."
"I'll think about the problem. Anything else? Anything from Cado's direction?"
"He's expecting a new civil governor any day now."
The General smiled. A rare event. "That would be what? The eighth since the conquest?" "Ninth. They just send people they'd rather not have around but don't dare kill in Herod." "And the Living take the blame." "Or harvest the credit. Was there some reason you sent for me?" "The problem in the Hahr has become critical. As I feared. Quick action now appears to be the only long-term solution."
"Ah?"
"This is a difficult thing."
"Is it? How soon do you need it?"
"Sunset tomorrow at the latest. But the sooner the better."
"That's tight."
"It will become difficult after that time. I thought you were going to scout the terrain should action become necessary."
"I did."
"Can you manage?"
"If I must."
"You must. Will you need help?"
"No."
"Let me know when it's done."
"Right." Azel walked away from the old man. He tapped the lamp wick down andput it back where he had found it. Then he went out into the fog. He did acareful circuit to make sure no watcher had taken station while he was inside.
He believed in being careful.
Bel-Sidek stood staring out at the fog that covered most of Qushmarrah. Hecould not see much. On a night with a moon, that fog would have stretched likea sprawl of silvery carpet from which parts of buildings grew. To his right, on a slightly higher elevation, the blot of the citadel of Nakar theAbomination masked the stars. Funny. Six years and still a black odor leakedout of the place.